Lincoln Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch: Saturday, July 10, 1976
Age: 59
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 10, 1976
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Acquitted due to mental illness
Patrolman Harold Reeves was shot and killed in from ambush after speaking to a woman about a dog control issue involving her dog.
He was driving away from the scene when the woman's 77-year-old boyfriend pulled up alongside his patrol car on Main Street. When Patrolman Reeves rolled down his window to speak to him, the man shot him in the head.
The man and his juvenile grandson, who was driving their truck, were arrested and charged with Patrolman Reeves' murder. The killer was committed to the state hospital for six months and then released.
Patrolman Reeves was a U.S. Army WWII veteran who had served with the Lincoln Police Department for two years and in law enforcement for five years. He was survived by three brothers and two sisters.